Happy Halloween

Leo doesn't leave the house much. But I'm glad for him when he does. He should have time away from this nut house too! I was thinking about how nice it would be to have a quiet evening once I got the boys to bed. I could catch up on blogging, pictures, you know - stuff. Well Nathan is finally asleep but Benny is screaming his head off. Most nights he does well. And really, once both of them are asleep they stay that way. But getting there is tough. They don't want to let go of the day. Benny has a little bit of a lingering cold too. But still, of all the nights . . .

Ah, I hear quiet. And of course Leo just got home.

Anyway, tomorrow is Halloween. Nathan is a pirate this year and Benny...well, we dressed him in his grey Adidas track suit from Christmas last year (that was always said had a gangster look about it), put a "gold chain" around his neck, unzipped the top and drew a curly hair on his chest. He was the cutest mobster ever. That was for some parties over the weekend (Leo went as Bat Dad - look it up, it's funny - and I put on my shiny clothes and devil horns. Sexy Devil of course.) I don't like the dress up part of Halloween. Or Halloween at all really. I just see myself arguing over how much candy the kids should get. Ugh. But we were all able to play the part at least a little to get into the spirit. For me it's about the colors, the leaves, the crisp air . . . the desserts! We are having various people over to trick or treat with of course but I afterwards we'll have some cider and pie. I was thinking warm cider but I hear it's going to be a very mild 78. Better than rain I suppose but hot is not Halloween weather. Oh well. You can have pie in any temperature.

We went to Pullen Park this week. Nathan has been begging to go. Tomorrow maybe we will hit the museum in Durham. It gets hard to fill the days sometimes. I don't mind down days at home but the boys get bored. They have been playing better together lately. Nathan makes his "spaceship" of blankets and pillows and Benny tries to climb under it all too. More and more Nathan will sit in the playroom with his legos and build things. I can hear him from the kitchen, him digging around the giant bins looking for the perfect pieces. And Benny is loving the trains. He makes sounds, pulls tracks apart and then together again, making one long train and trying to keep it together as he pulls it along, not quite understanding why the little magnets aren't quite strong enough. It's fun to watch them both play and figure things out. For a while I thought they would never go off and do things on their own. But they are getting there.

Benny is not yet saying much. I sometimes worry, thinking he should be saying more. He has this way of saying something perfectly once. You turn around to encourage him to say it again and he won't do it. But you know he just said it perfectly! Stinker. But looking back at most motherhood worries, there wasn't much need to worry after all. So we will just keep talking to him like we always do, because he does understand it all, and hopefully her's taking it all in and will spit it all back out at us soon. God knows Nathan doesn't hush most of the time; I'm sure it will be the same with Benny. It's funny to imagine the two of them talking to each other someday. I can't wait to hear those conversations.

The Sweet Mundane Life

So MOPS started for us last month. I may have mentioned that this year I took on kind of a big role. It's working out now but for a while it bummed me out. Our group is growing in numbers again, but the girls that are joining are in a much different place than I am. I'm thinking this is my senior year and I will graduate at the end of it.

Nathan is doing great in preschool. He claims to not want to go but then always has a good time. He comes home with projects, singing new songs and an stamp or fake tattoo on his arm and always lots of sand in his shoes from the sand box where they dig for "treasures". I'd say he's doing just fine there.

This week Nathan had his first Little Kickers Soccer practice. It's only once a week for four weeks but it's good for him to participate, learn to respect other adults and have time just for Daddy and Nathan. And Benny and I get some time together too.

Pop was here last week. They had plenty of time to bond as we went to the beer fest on Saturday (where Leo forgot his ID and Pop had to take a picture of it for him to get in!) and then to see Beauty & The Beast the following Tuesday. Pop watched the boys both nights (or rather, the boys watched Pop sleep that Saturday night. He was a bit tired from the drive down!). Pop helped with some yard work, hung out with me and Benny on my birthday while Nathan was at school, then left to make his way down to Florida for the week. Being retired seems to agree with him.

Did I mention our new living room? The new carpet is still a thrill for me and the long shelf Uncle Matt helped me make is the icing on the cake for me. My autumn decorations look amazing in there. I love it - I finally feel like an adult!

Halloween is fast approaching and as usual Leo and I are dragging our feet on what to dress up as. We were invited to four parties next weekend and costumes are pretty much required. Being that we have kids, we will only go to the two that are kid friendly (boo - the other two sounded really fun!). But if we could go to the adult ones and had to dress up, we decided we would have done with the Dexter theme. Leo in his "kill outfit" of his special shirt, black gloves, rubber apron and long needle. I guess I would have had to be victim #375, wrapped in cellophane, covered in blood. Ew. That doesn't sound fun actually. But it would have been a good idea.

Today is Friday and it feels like a Dance Party kind of night. Margarita's anyone?